YSU roundup

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Richmond hired as director of operations

YOUNGSTOWN

Mark Richmond has been named Director of Basketball Operations, Youngstown State men’s basketball Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun announced on Thursday.

He comes to YSU after two years as the men’s basketball director of player development at Fordham from 2015-2017.

At Fordham, Richmond’s responsibilities included assisting with the evaluation of video, development of practice and game schedules, and assisting the head coach in all facets of the program.

Richmond arrived at Fordham after serving as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations at East Tennessee State University for head coach Murry Bartow from 2013-2015.

Prior to his stint in Johnson City, Richmond was an assistant coach at the University of Charleston (W.Va.) for Mark Downey. He spent three seasons at UC, helping rejuvenate a program rich in tradition. While at Charleston, the Golden Eagles were consistently ranked in the national top 25 polls. UC defeated the No. 1 team in the country in January 2013.

Richmond also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Centenary College in Shreveport, La., for Greg Gary. While at Centenary, Richmond assisted in all aspects of the program including recruiting, on-floor coaching, organizing summer camps, monitoring the team’s strength and conditioning program, and assisting with all the general day-to-day operations for the Gents, who competed in the Summit League.

Prior to his time at Centenary, Richmond served as a student assistant for head coach Bob Huggins at West Virginia University.

Jason Slay joins Calhoun’s staff

YOUNGSTOWN

Penguins head coach Jerrod Calhoun has announced the addition of Jason Slay as an assistant.

Prior to joining YSU, Slay spent two seasons at the Virginia Military Institute from 2015-17. In 2016-17, he mentored QJ Peterson, a 2017 All-Southern Conference First-Team selection by the media and a coaches’ second-team all-conference pick.

Slay spent the 2014-15 season at East Tennessee State, and served as an assistant coach at Tennessee State University in 2013-14. He was the Director of Basketball Operations at Georgia Southern 2012-13.

Prior to working in the college ranks, Slay was the top assistant coach at Hargrave Military Academy where he coached 10 players that signed national letters of intent to Division I programs. He also served as the team’s director of individual development and summer training and the Tigers finished with a 38-8 record and made the National Prep Showcase Elite 8 in 2012-13.

Slay also coached four years (2008-2012) at West Virginia State serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, and was a part of two West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

As a college player at West Virginia State, Slay was a four-time captain and two-year starter and helped guide his team to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 2004, 2006, and 2007.

SOFTBALL

Dowd sets Penguins record with 35th HR

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.

Senior Sarah Dowd set the Youngstown State softball all-time home run record with a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, but the Penguins softball team fell to Northern Kentucky, 11-3, on Thursday afternoon. Dowd hit the 35th home run of her career and broke the record of 34 set by McKenzie Bedra (2005-08).

With the loss, the Penguins fall to 17-24 overall and 5-7 in the Horizon League while the Norse improve to 11-26 overall and 5-7 in the league.

NKU struck first with a four-run third inning capped by a two-run home run by Dani Devlin.

In the top of the fourth, junior Cali Mikovich reached on an error to lead off the frame and senior Brittney Moffatt double to right field to put runners on second and third. Dowd blasted her record-breaking home run to left field and cut the deficit to 4-3.

BASEBALL

Nine-run inning lifts Milwaukee over YSU

MILWAUKEE, WIS.

Milwaukee used a nine-run fourth inning to beat YSU 14-5 in the opener of a three-game series at Henry Aaron Field on Thursday.

Shane Willoughby hit a two-run double for YSU as part of a three-run first inning for the Penguins, and his RBI single in the in the top of the second gave the Penguins a 4-0 lead.

John Boidanis led off the bottom of the second with a home run for the Panthers, and Ben Chally’s RBI triple two batters later brought UWM to within 4-2.

Milwaukee then scored nine runs on eight hits and two walks in the bottom of the fourth to take an 11-4 lead. Six of those runs scored after there were two outs. Milwaukee added a run in the fifth to go up 12-4.

YSU’s Andrew Kendrick hit a home run with one out in the seventh inning for the Penguins’ final run.

The Panthers added a pair of runs in the eighth.

The Penguins teams will meet again at 2 p.m. today

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Colonel Crawford grad joins program

YOUNGSTOWN

Alexus Burkhart has committed to join the Youngstown State women’s basketball team as a preferred walk-on beginning in the 2017-18 season, YSU head coach John Barnes announced.

Burkhart is a 5-foot-6 guard from North Robinson, which is 20 miles west of Mansfield. She is a two-time first-team All-Northern 10 Conference selection and an all-district honoree while playing for Colonel Crawford High School.

Burkhart averaged 14.6 points and scored her 1,000th career point in January as she repeated as a first-team all-conference selection as a senior.

Burkhart joins Amara Chikwe, Chelsea Olson, McKenah Peters and Anne Secrest, all of whom l signed a National Letters of Intent in November as members of YSU’s Class of 2021.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Tavolario Endowment created at YSU

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is pleased to announce the creation of the Dr. James and Mary Ann Tavolario Scholarship to enhance the YSU Athletics Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Dr. James and Mary Ann Tavolario are strong supporters of YSU and its athletic programs. Jim, a retired podiatrist, and Mary Ann, a retired Boardman teacher, are committed to extending the academic and athletic opportunities for young people attending YSU.

Both are YSU graduates.

The scholarship endowment will be awarded to a member of the women’s basketball team or the men’s golf team.

For more information, or to endow an athletic scholarship, contact the YSU Foundation at 330-941-3211 or contact Dan Kopp at dkopp@ysufoundation.org.

Staff reports